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Thai cooking perfect for experimenting with a wide range of fresh ingredients

Bring the colour of spring into your life with fresh greens — from basil to green papaya — used in Thai cooking.

Photograph by: Ed Kaiser
, Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - The wonderful thing about food is that it can be your own creative canvas.

If you are tired of the way things look (or smell, or taste, or feel), then food is one way to change it up, right from the centre of your own life, the kitchen. It’s less drastic than dumping your relationship or leaving your job. And it’s cheaper than a sun vacation.

Longing for the green of spring, but lacking the wherewithal to change the weather, I found myself turning to personal chef Elaine Wilson, who makes an art of Thai food.

Wilson, who has a company called Allium Foodworks, grew up in Vegreville, where the most exotic food around was the pineapple chicken balls at Chin’s Cafe. But at the age of 17, she had the chance to live in Thailand for a year on a Rotary Club student exchange.

Some 30 years later, Wilson is still in love with the country, and has returned numerous times to be inspired by the fresh green of the local concoctions, and the style of eating, which emphasizes togetherness.

“The focus is balance, with bright flavours like lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves,” she says. “The food is fresh, light and uber-healthy … But it’s also the pleasure of eating in community. Everyone eats from a communal plate in Thailand. Everyone shares the food, and it just tastes like sunshine and happiness.”

Edmonton has become a more adventurous grocery city in recent years, and most of the fruits and vegetables that form the backbone of Thai food are found here, in stores such as T and T and Lucky, and even at mainstream grocery stores including Superstore or Save-On-Foods. Edmonton’s numerous smaller markets in Chinatown, such as Lucky 97, also offer plentiful Thai produce including Thai basil (always cheaper in Chinatown than elsewhere), lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, mint, cilantro and green mangoes.

Even Thai eggplants are readily available. They come in two varieties; green-and-white speckled, about the size of golf balls, or cream-coloured, and the size of a very large grape. Long, skinny Japanese eggplant, though, can be substituted if Thai eggplants are scarce.

Wilson is a purist and believes in using the best Thai ingredients she can find. But she is also practical, and says cooks don’t need to make their own curry paste from scratch for sauces such as green curry or red curry. She likes some store-bought pastes, including Mae Ploy and May Jim (both found at T and T and some mainstream grocery stores).

“Even in Thailand, people buy curry paste from the market,” she says. “It’s very time-consuming to make your own. It’s like making your own chocolate.”

Once you’ve fought past the mental barrier of curry paste, there are numerous Thai dishes that are fast and easy to prepare. Thai cooking features lots of dipping sauces for added exotic appeal and they can also be used as salad dressings. Lots of rice is key for mopping up sauce, and cooling the mouth after contact with fiery ingredients.

Thai cooking is very much about balancing heat from chilies, as well as sour, salty and sweet flavours. Because everybody’s taste is different, Wilson suggests serving Thai food with condiment bowls of lime wedges, chilies, palm sugar, vinegar and fish sauce so that each diner can adjust their servings as they see fit.

“Thai food is customizable,” she says. “You can switch ingredients in and out easily, and gear your dishes around people with food allergies, or heat preferences.”

Wilson has been professionally teaching Thai cooking classes (and other ethnic styles) for about eight years and Thai food is among the most popular choices when Wilson does in-home dinner parties for clients. Check her website for details on upcoming classes of all descriptions (elainewilson.com).

Wilson also sells a line of sauces, called Food You Can Cook, that includes her own custom-designed Thai sauces (Massaman, red, green and yellow). You can buy them at the downtown farmers market and online.

To separate coconut milk, buy it well ahead and let it sit in your pantry for a couple of days so the coconut cream rises to the top. Put it in the refrigerator for at least a few hours, preferably a day, and the cream will get hard, making it easy to separate. Open the tin from the bottom to pour off the coconut water (reserve it for soups or smoothies). Another option is to add all the unseparated coconut milk, and cook the sauce long enough for most of the water to evaporate and the sauce to get thick (probably 20 minutes at least).

Heat a small fry pan or pot over medium heat and gently fry curry paste a couple of minutes, until aromatic. Wilson recommends using curry paste brands Mae Jin from T and T, or Mae Ploy, often available in the import aisle at major grocery stores such as Superstore or Save-On-Foods. Or you can go to a smaller grocer in Chinatown such as Lucky 97 or its northside location, Lucky Supermarket.

Add the coconut cream and let it bubble a couple of minutes to melt the curry paste, stirring to combine. Add the minced kaffir lime leaves, palm sugar and sliced chilies (you can add a bit now and more later if you want it hotter). Let it bubble several minutes until the sauce thickens; the oil may begin to separate but that’s OK. Add the chicken, eggplant and peas, stirring gently to separate pieces, and allow to cook 5 or 6 minutes until cooked through. Top with Thai basil and serve with hot rice.

Elaine Wilson’s Yum Neuah — Spicy Thai Beef Salad

This is one of Wilson’s favourite salads — you can use any meat or seafood, or swap it out for tempeh, a soybean product. It’s a great starter or side dish, and with more protein, makes a delicious light meal. Serves four.

In a medium bowl, combine the vinaigrette ingredients. Set aside. On a platter, arrange the lettuce greens and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro, mint and Thai basil if using. Arrange the other chopped vegetables on top. Toss the cooked meat with the sliced shallot and half the vinaigrette. Arrange the marinated meat on top of the salad, drizzle all with the remaining vinaigrette (you might not use all of it) and garnish with the chopped peanuts and lime wedges.

Note: The vinaigrette keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks; make a large batch and use it on salads, as a marinade for seafood and meat, or a finish after grilling meat and seafood.

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